An Inescapable Fate
by DC World
Summary: And as Zack had slowly began to glance his brother over - taking in his lifeless eyes, his sunken face, his suddenly noticeable weight lose- a sickening realization dawned on him. Cody truly did want to die.


**Okay, so I am both frustrated and pleased with myself. I am frustrated because for over a week now I have been trying to finish the 7th**** chapter of " Blissfully Pathetic" but seem unable to do so . And then, out of nowhere I can sit down and write this in like an hour and half. But I am pleased because I have * finally* written a fantasy scene. Epic fantasy is my first love when it comes to literature ( in fact it was because I wanted to read " The Wheel of Time" fanfics that I actually joined this site way back in 2005 ), but for some reason I never written it. Now I can say I have.**

**As for this scene, it is actually a dream I had a couple of nights ago that wouldn't leave me alone. And just so you are aware, it's rather depressing and very AU- but that's okay. And also I don't really know much about what happened before this moment or what will happen after. But, if there is anyone out there is inspired by this and wants to use all or parts of it, just let me know. I am curious to see if someone can create a full blown story from a rather out of the blue dream. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own TSL - that belongs to Disney. I also don't own Trollocs - they belong to TWoT.**

**Oh and in this one-shot the twins are in their early 20s- I would say 22 or 23. Also I rated this T but in terms of violent content I am not 100% sure. I think I'm okay, but then again I was watching Law and Order SVU when I was 11 and I thought it was okay content wise, so who knows. Let me know if you think I should change this to M. **

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A whirlwind of voices began to swirl around Zack's mind as he took a deep breath and stared straight ahead - using every ounce of will power he could muster to force himself not to think about what would unavoidably take place in the eerily barren clearing between where he was standing and the edge of the forest that grew in the shadow of the mountains. But it was all in vain. His heartbeat was pounding so hard in his ears it seemed to block out all other noise, his hands shaking so much he was certain that if they got attacked at this very moment he would not even be able to keep his sword steady, never mind actually use it. To say he was petrified would be an understatement.

He closed his eyes for a brief second in an attempt to regain some self control. _It will be just like play fighting with Cody in the backyard when we were kids, nothing to be afraid of_. Except Cody didn't carry rusty jagged edged swords and spikes or have enough strength to rip your arms clean out of their sockets . Cody didn't have a fervent imprinted hatred towards mankind or a blood curdling appetite for human flesh. And Cody wasn't bred solely for the purpose of killing him and every other living creature that had found refuge in this remote village he was currently - with the help of twenty- nine other young men, including his twin brother - standing watch over.

Quickly he re- opened his eyes and scanned the tree line, keeping look out for anything remotely suspicious. Any warning - even if it was a small one- could make a world of difference. But, everything was still and silent, much like the calm before a big storm. And the silence was unnerving - intensifying both his anxiety and the voices.

_They will be here by night fall…outnumbered by fifty to one… nasty creatures Trollocs are, would sooner rip you to pieces then look at you…they will not outlast the night…_

But it was not the villager's whispers of impending doom that was beginning to unhinged his generally stable state of mind. It was a different voice. The voice of someone so desolate - so desperate - that any trace of the young man once filled with endless amounts of optimism and zest for life had long been lost and forgotten. It was a voice who's tone frightened Zack more then any amount of hungry Trollocs ever could.

_Yeah, well maybe I'm ready to die. _

His brother's retort had sounded so certain and unyielding that for a moment the only thing Zack could do was stare at him - his eyes transfixed on his other half's face in hopes that he would catch a glimmer of something, anything, that showed Cody wasn't serious. But there had been nothing. And as Zack had slowly began to glance his brother over - taking in his lifeless eyes, his sunken face, his suddenly noticeable weight lose- a sickening realization dawned on him. Cody truly did want to die. And what better way to insure that then to volunteer yourself to fight in a battle in which there was a slim to none chance of survival?

Slowly Zack peeled his eyes away from the trees and scanned the area for his brother. He had long ago made a promise that he would watch over his little brother and protect him in every way humanly possible. And despite Cody's sudden undesired lack of a will to live, he was not about to break that promise.

He found Cody standing approximately forty feet away, staring almost impassively at the mountains and began to walk over in his direction, taking note of the fact that he looked uncharacteristically calm. This bothered Zack deeply. Cody was not one to act so collected in situations of crisis. He was usually pacing back and forth, voicing his worries in endless rants and raves. His present demeanour seemed to emphasize that he was beyond caring.

He shook his head to rid himself of such negative thoughts. Neither he nor his brother were going to die today, and that was it. Zack had to believe this - to not would be unbearable.

Gingerly Zack placed a hand on Cody's shoulder and took a deep breath. Unsure what say or do he opted to just allow his twin to make the first move.

Cody didn't flinch at Zack's touch- a sure sign that he was fully aware of his brother's presence - but also kept his eyes fixed on an eagle that was flying high above the treetops, the only sign of life besides the other men in the area. It wasn't until the magnificent bird was out of sight that he spoke up. " I can't sleep anymore, Zack." His voice was barely a whisper, but he might as well have yelled it out, for that was how loud and clear Zack heard what he had said, what he had meant. " I keep hearing her screaming…and it's like she is right there beside me. And I can't do anything about it." He slowly turned to face his brother, one lone tear trickling down his dirty face.

A wave of relief flooded over Zack. Cody was crying, was showing an emotion. And emotions meant that something deep down was still alive inside of him. There was still a flicker of hope.

" Sometimes…sometimes I wish they would've taken me too," Cody conceded as he nervously began to fiddle with an arrow he pulled out the quiver strapped to his back. Although not as gifted as Zack when it come to using a sword, quarterstaff or partaking in any hand to hand combat for that matter, over the years Cody had become quite the skilled archer. Once he had figured out that hitting your target had as much to do with calculating angles and trajectories as it did with hand - eye coordination and general physical strength, he had thrown himself whole heartily into the task of mastering the bow and arrows. One rarely saw him without his weapon these days- both a sign of his true attachment to his craft and of the ominous threat of sudden life threatening danger that seemed to be on the rise as of late.

Zack shook his head vigorously at his brother's confession. They could not go down this road - not again. He would not allow Cody's survivor's guilt dampened out what little hope he had. " No, Cody, no. You can't blame yourself for what happened to Bailey."

" And why not?" Cody barked at him, snapping his arrow in half. His sudden outburst caused Zack to instinctively back up - Cody could be ferocious when he was angry or deeply upset, something he had learned from years of antagonising him. " I should have stopped them Zack, but I didn't…I couldn't. " His body had now beginning to tremble- Zack marvelling had how fast his twin had gone from being emotionless to being overwhelmed with it. " Those monsters stole the woman I love and dragged her away…." he paused for a moment as if he couldn't even comprehend what he had actually done, "….and…and I just let them." Cody's face paled as he was once again hit with the reality of what had happened two nights ago . " My God," he began to take short raspy breaths, " they…they…"

Zack watched as Cody suddenly doubled over and began to retch, a bright yellow liquid spewing from his mouth. He cried out in both pain and disgust as his bile seemed to force itself out - the repulsive after taste lingering in his mouth . Zack closed his eyes and took a couple of calming breaths, the sight of his brother throwing up bile from his gallbladder causing memories of the two weeks when he had been twelve and had contracted a stomach virus so strong he had been sure he was going upheave internal organs to be pushed to the forefront of his mind.

Finally after what seemed like hours Cody's vomiting subsided and Zack slowly opened his eyes, glancing warily at his brother- who was now on his knees, trembling from head to toe, his messy hair mangled to his forehead, excess bile dripping down his chin.

An immoral thought suddenly leeched it's way into Zack's mind, haunting him by it's mere presence. _Maybe he does deserve to die. _

The thought hit him with such intensity that for a moment Zack was sure he was going to join his brother on the ground- emptying out what little contents were still in his stomach. But he knew that he couldn't do that - wouldn't do that. One of them had to stay strong if they were both going to make it through the night.

Tentatively Zack knelt on the ground and wrapped his around Cody's body, ignoring the looks he knew they were getting from the now gathering group of men who were supposed to be on look out, and pulling him into a hug. Slowly he began to rub his back in big circles and rock him back and forth, whispering words of knowingly false encouragement in his ear. " Shh….it will all be over soon, buddy. And then we'll be able to go back home."

Zack felt a tear escape and slide slowly down his check as he said this, a small revolution occurring to him. More then anything he missed home. He missed the hustle and bustle of the constant rush of people wishing to spend the night in the inn. He missed the smell of freshly baked bread the cook made every Wednesday and Saturday. He even missed the mundane task of bringing traveler's horses to and from the stables and making sure they were properly taken care of. But most of all he missed her. Maddie Fiztpatrick had been - and will forever be - the love of his life. And if he had known that the night they had spent together in the hay loft in her father's barn more then a year ago could potentially be their last, he would have made damn sure to have made it a night for her to remember him by .

He closed his eyes and allowing a multitude of images to flash before him- momentarily ridding him all the evil and impurities he had witnessed since that fateful night. Ordinarily prefect looking hair plastered to a flushed face, big red swollen lips parted slightly - purr like moans of pleasure emanating from them. Silky smooth legs wrapped tightly around his waste while her nails dug into his shoulders as she braced herself for pure ecstasy. It was a night he would never forget.

The sound of a loud horn that seemed to echo throughout the entire valley jerked Zack back into reality. Grabbing a hold of Cody under the arms, he quickly hosted his brother to his feet. Adrenalin kicked in, momentarily knocking Cody out of his funk. Primal instincts were now taking over - the ones that wanted him to live. Zack watched as his brother gave his mouth a wipe and closed his eyes for second, attempting to find any courage hidden within, before giving his head a shake. He wasn't ready to give up just yet.

Together they - along with every other man on guard - turned to collectively stare at the tree line. The sight before them was enough to make even the toughest cringe. The masses of beasts emerging from the forest and into the clearing was so numerous that Zack was positive that if they had the ability to view this scene from the air, the entire area would look like one big giant sea of black. Instinctively he placed his hand on his sword and heard of the sound of Cody notch an arrow into his bow. He took a deep breath - this was it. This could very well be his last night here. But as he watched the Trollocs start to advance their attack on the village his only thought was he was glad to have his brother by his side. And that if he was going to die, he was going to have it no other way.

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**Well, not what you might expect from me or even in this fandom, but I kind of like it. And I would love to hear what you think. **


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